St. Patrick Faculty and Staff

Geoffrey Arndt (THEATRE PROGRAM DIRECTOR) serves as Theatre Program Director at Saint Patrick High School as well as the Director of the Saint Patrick Summer Theatre. Past directing credits at St. Pats include The Servant of Two Masters, Man of La Mancha, Amadeus, Big Top Stop Inn, West Side Story, Rumors, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Little Shop of Horrors, Treasure Island. He has worked with a number of theatre companies in Chicago including Drury Lane Oakbrook, Bohemian Theatre Ensemble, First Folio Shakespeare, and Marriott Lincolnshire. Geoffrey holds a Masters Degree in Theatre History and Criticism from Illinois State University. His favorite directing credits include Picnic, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Medusa’s Tale, Just Thinking, The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, The Illustrated Woman (co-director), and Snake Oil.

Karl Sullivan (TECHNICAL DIRECTOR/ THEATRE MANAGER) has served as Technical Director for both Lifeline Theatre and Remy Bumppo Theatre companies, as well as freelancing in stage management and other production related activities for well over twenty-five years. Karl has worked in various production and management capacities on over one hundred fifty theatrical productions at Chicago area theatres including Wisdom Bridge, Famous Door, Irish Repertory of Chicago, Lookingglass Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Oak Park Festival Theatre and Remains Theatre. Karl graduated from Millikin University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, theatre, and secondary education and is currently the Technical Director for Stahl Family Theatre.

GUEST ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS

One of the finer points of Saint Patrick High School's theatre program is that we employ professional designers and artists who collaborate with faculty and students in the creation of our productions. Pease meet just a few of our outstanding guest artists:

CHET KONDRATOWICZ (DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS PROGRAMMING) is a member of the Joseph Jefferson Award Committee and a professor emeritus at Lewis University where under his direction a very active theatre department was created spawning dozens of theatre professionals working in all areas of theatre, film and television. Chet supervised the design and reconstruction of an airplane hangar into the Philip Lynch Theatre at Lewis University. He has directed extensively on the college, community and professional levels. He currently serves as Director of Fine Arts Programming at the Stahl Family Theatre.

KATIE ALVORD (SET DESIGNER) is a graduate of the University of Arizona (Master’s of Fine Arts with an emphasis in scenic design).Favorite past designs include Love’s Labour’s Lost and Bus Stop for the Arizona Repertory Theatre in Tucson Arizona, Southern Comforts for Canon Moon Theatre in Sedona Arizona, and Servant of Two Masters at Illinois State University. Recently, she also designed and worked at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre. Her complete portfolio can be seen at www.katiealvorddesign.com.

REBECCA HAMLIN (SET DESIGNER) has designed extensively in the Chicago area at theaters including Milwaukee Shakespeare, Ars Viva, Apple Tree, Next Theatre, Bailiwick Repertory, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Sheanachai, City Lit Theatre and others. Rebecca is a resident designer and teacher for Mudlark Theater in Evanston. In addition to theater, Rebecca has designed for many public and private institutions, including the Chicago Botanic Garden, Garfield Park Conservatory (Chicago Park District), the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Music Institute of Chicago, the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation and the League of Creative Musicians.

BILL BARTELT (SET DESIGNER)

PATRICK HAM (SET DESIGNER) is an instructor at the neighborhood college, Wright College, in the Visual & Performing Arts Department. He teaches classes in graphic design through the Art department, as well as Stagecraft & Intro to Theatre through the Theater department. You have seen his designs in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Proof, & Wright College Children's Theater production of The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe. Patrick's professional credits include Bohemian Theatre Ensemble's productions of Edward and Yerma, as well as Downer's Grove High School's production of The Music Man and Sullivan Little Theatre on the Square's production of Mid-Life Crisis: The Musical.

ANDREW NELSEN (SET and LIGHTING DESIGNER) A native of Joliet, Andrew is a graduate of Lewis University and received his MFA in Design from Univeristy of Iowa. He designs at numerous venues, including Lewis University. His past productions with Saint Patrick High School include Inspecting Carol, Man a la Mancha, Rumors, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Dracula, Jesus Christ Superstar, and The Drowsy Chaperone.

JORDAN KARDASZ (LIGHTING DESIGNER) Jordan, a native Chicagoan, recently moved back to the city after receiving her MFA in design from The Ohio State University. She has held various lighting positions with companies such as Matter Dance, the Hypocrites, Provision Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, and Lifeline Theatre. Currently, she is the Technical Director at Saint Scholastica Academy.

WILLIAM LEA (FORMER CHOIR DIRECTOR/ MUSICAL DIRECTOR)has been the Music Director for Saint Patrick since 2007. Productions at St. Pats include West Side Story, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Little Shop of Horrors, Treasure Island. Will studied music and education at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor where he sang on the Grammy Award winning recording of William Bolcom's "Songs of Innocence and Experience." Will is now the full-time director of the choral program at Latin School of Chicago. He was delighted and humbled to be a part of such and amazing cast and crew for this wonderful production! JOHN SANCHEZ (LIGHTING DESIGNER) has been very happy to work with Saint Patrick High School and the Saint Patrick Summer Theatre. Other professional credits include Lifeline Theatre's The Mark Of Zorro, A Room With A View, Johnny Tremain, Sirens Of Titan, The Shadow, and several children's shows. In the past he has worked with the Goodman Theatre (asst. lighting designer for A Christmas Carol) , Steppenwolf Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and numerous other theatre and dance companies.

MICHAEL KRULL (LIGHTING DESIGNER)

TRISTAN TOM (COSTUME DESIGNER)

RACHEL SYPNIEWSKI (COSTUME DESIGNER) has designed well over 60 shows in the Chicago storefront theatre community, some of her favorites include, Grapes of Wrath and Kentucky Cycle with Infamous Commonwealth Theatre, Siskel and Ebert Save Chicago and RenFaire: A Fist Full of Ducats with the Factory, Solid Gold Cadallac and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with Open Eye, The Man Who Was Thursday and The Long Count with New Leaf Theatre, and West Side Story and Man of La Mancha with St. Patrick High School. She is a company member of Infamous Commonwealth, an artistic associate with New Leaf Theatre, and a stage manager for Quade Productions. Her upcoming designs include, The Crucible (March 2010) with Infamous Commonwealth at the Raven Theatre, The Starving Class (April 2010) with New Leaf Theatre and Ten Unknowns (May 2010) with Will Act For Food.

JANE DEBONDT (COSTUME DESIGNER)

SUZANNE MANN (COSTUME DESIGNER)

JUDY SHEEHAN (COSTUME DESIGNER) serves as president and resident costumer for TRSTC and was thrilled when this joint venture opportunity came along to merge the talents and resources of the two companies.She has learned a lot with the venture. Judy is also a performer and a director. Favorite roles include: Rosie in TheWedding Singer, Melissa in State Fair, Mabel in The Pajama Game, Reno in Anything Goes, Vera in Mame, Golda in Fiddler on the Roof, Miss Hannigan inAnnieand Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance and many more. She directed Beauty and the Beast, Grease and The King and I for TRSTC.

STEVE HAFLIGER (COSTUME DESIGNER)

THERESA HAM (COSTUME DESIGNER)has been working as a designer for 6 years. You may have seen Theresa’s design work with the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble. With BoHo, she has designed musicals such as The Life, Side Show and The Wild Party. She received a Joseph Jefferson citation nomination for costume design for Side Show in 2007. She has also designed at various other venues in and around Chicago. Theresa holds an M.F.A. in costume design from Illinois State University, where she designed such shows as All My Sons, Metamorphoses, and Die Fledermaus.ANDREW WHEATLEY (SOUND DESIGNER)

GEOFF ZIGROSSI (SOUND DESIGNER)

KEVIN ROSENHAGEN (SOUND DESIGNER) is currently the Assistant Technical Director at Governors State University. In the past Kevin has worked with such artist as Jim Brickman, Donny Osmond, The Jersey Boys and Second City. He works over 200 different productions annually from Broadway to Community Theater.

ANNALIISA AHLMAN (CHOREOGRAPHER) serves as the technical director at Niles North High School.Favorite credits at Niles North include RENTandLittle Women.Prior to working at Niles North, Annaliisa spent four years with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, most recently as their inaugural Educational Outreach Director. She has studied ballet, modern, jazz and tap dance, and brought liturgical dance to her home parish when she was growing up.Past directing credits include Is He Dead?(assistant director), The Man of Infinite Sadness, Intersections(an ensemble devised piece), The Vagina Monologues, and The Illustrated Woman(co-director).Annaliisa holds a bachelors degree in theatre education from Illinois State University, with minors in history and women’s/gender studies.

KEVIN BELLIE (CHOREOGRAPHER) was one of Circle Theatre's co-Artistic Directors for three years and a company member for over 19 years. Kevin was also the current Co-Director of Circle Theatre's Emerging Young Artists Program. Kevin's direction and choreography credits at Circle include The Mystery of Edwin Drood (JEFF Nominated), Hello Again (JEFF Recommended), Nine (JEFF Citation Recipient), Triumph of Love (JEFF Citation Nominee), The Life (JEFF Citation Recipient), Grand Hotel (JEFF Citation Recipient) and Rags (JEFF Recommended). Also, he choreographed She Loves Me, and The Secret Garden (JEFF Citation Recipient). In addition to his work at Circle, Kevin has choreographed Anyone Can Whistle (Pegasus Players), A New Brain (Porchlight, JEFF Nominated), Closer Than Ever (Porchlight, JEFF Recommended) and Being 11 (Serendipity.) During the day, Kevin is an Educator at St. Ignatius College Prep High School.KATIE DESALVO (CHOREOGRAPHER)

BOBBY JOHNSON (CHOREOGRAPHER)

VAL STROUD (CHOREOGRAPHER) started her professional career at St. Louis Municipal Opera Company and also owned her own dance studio. Val has also worked in New York, Florida, and Arizona.

CATHERN VACCARO (CHOREOGRAPHER)

KEVIN KAUCHER (STAGE MANAGER) stage managed Picnic with the Saint Patrick Summer Theatre. He graduated just three years ago and since then, has done several shows at Lewis University, all on the technical side of operation from running light boards to stage managing. Kevin has also appeared in many shows here at Saint Patrick High School ranging from Guys and Dolls to Into the Woods to Dark of the Moon. Kevin is a graduate of Lewis University.

JOHN KELLY (STAGE MANAGER) has stage managed two productions with the Saint Patrick Summer Theatre after graduating in 2009. He is a Columbia College Chicago graduate where he was a Lighting Design major. He has done design work for Columbia College in cooperation with Red Moon Theatre on Manifest's ASM: New World Rave, Strawdog Theatre, and with Independent Stars on Doubt.

ANNA ROSE MORRELL (ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER/ PROPS) is ecstatic to have been a part of the Saint Patrick Summer Theatre. During the school year, she can be found at Columbia College pursuing a degree in technical theatre with a concentration in stage management. She's stage managed many shows in the Oak Park area, but her favorites include Pride and Prejudice, Guys and Dolls, and A View from the Bridge. At Columbia College she was props designer for Kindertransport and The Miracle Worker.

CASSIE HABERT (ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER/ PUPPETEER) is a graduate of Purdue University, and she is proud to have been a part of Saint Patrick High School. Having previously worked as an actor in Saint Patrick Productions including Beatrice in Servant of Two Masters, Maria in Man of La Mancha, Teresa Salari in Amadeus and Anybodiesin West Side Story. She also appeared last summer in Saint Celestine’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar. She would like to thank Geoffrey Arndt and John Kelly for their hard work on this long journey.